FOND DU LAC – The plucked tune of “Carol of the Bells” from a music box. Christmas trees adorned in glass, glittery ornaments. Snow-covered roofs. Bright twinkle lights and lanterns casting an inviting glow. Nutcrackers standing at a door like sentinels.

These are the merry sights that come with a visit to Kristmas Kringle Shoppe, Ltd., 1330 S. Main St., Fond du Lac — a Christmas store that inspires awe year-round.

The store got its start 40 years ago, when Jerry and Grace Mielke sought a “retirement business” at a time when Christmas stores were only in their beginning, said their daughter, Gerianne Pertl.

The family loved Christmas, a passion stoked by German heritage. Growing up, Pertl’s home wouldn’t be decorated until Christmas Eve after she and her sister went to sleep. Coming down the stairs the next morning, they found a Christmas tree, decorations on the fireplace and wrought-iron railings, elves on lampshades and presents galore. No space was left was untouched.

Seeking to channel that joy into a business, they and their family flew to Georgia for the annual gift show, which draws buyers from all over the nation. On their visit, they made a stop at a Christmas store for ideas, and from there, decided to launch their own.

The store’s first home was in Wegner’s Office Supply, 15-17 Court St., another business owned by the Mielkes and named after Grace’s maiden name. They stocked Christmas and unique goods in the front and filled outward from there, until more space was needed.

Pertl had graduated from college by the time her parents decided to expand into another location. For inspiration, the family took a trip to a store in Käthe Wohlfart, Ruthenberg, Germany, bringing home the country’s aesthetic, and placing them in a town square layout.

With a vision in mind, Jerry Mielke crafted a 3D model of the shop in the family’s garage, which he then took to a builder. Construction started on the land by Interstate 41, and was topped off with a cupola so heavy the building had to be reinforced to support it.

The store opened on Sept. 16, 1994, and — just as the Mielkes invited their children down for Christmas ever year — they invited visitors in to their own personal wonderland.

Winter wonderland

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Stephanie Petzold, of Sheboygan, looks over Christmas ornaments during a recent visit to the Kristmas Kringle Shoppe, Ltd. in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The store sees many visitors from around the state.(Photo: Doug Raflik/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Coming into the shop, visitors will see real tree trunks and street lights that add to the village-like feel. Sections of the shop are marked with different facades. Department 56 brand villages are found in a gingerbread house, while a church holds nativity scenes. A Porter Music Box plucks a gold disc like a player piano to produce whimsical songs, as animated animals and figures move. To remind customers of the true meaning of the holiday, the Mielkes put up a large nativity scene outside, visible from the interstate.

“It’s a retail business, but it’s so unique in a sense because of all the different people that you meet from all walks of life,” said Craig Schneider, store manager. “The biggest enjoyment is when they walk in and to see their eyes light up like they do when they see how it looks.”

The 10,000-square-foot store is filled with unique items. In the move from Wegner’s, the Mielkes brought collectibles, villages and more. With Wegner’s continuing to sell decorations, particularly those associated with Hallmark, they made sure to keep little overlap in their offerings, as to not draw business away from the other.

Over the years, the selection changed to fit the needs of the customers, said Schneider. With not as many collectors, the store’s collectible market has shifted, too, while still retaining a large selection, from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to Swarovski, Jim Shore and Precious Moments.

“Everybody has their kind of thing,” Pertl said.

Customers also have moved to a more eclectic taste, rather than buying ornaments and decorations all in one theme. The store’s most popular line of ornaments is Old World Christmas, a collection of glass decorations with a wide selection, including a chef’s hat, guacamole, a soccer ball, golden retriever and cup of hot cocoa. Throughout the shop, sections are devoted to weddings, anniversaries, cooking, pets and remembrance. One tree still bears the ornaments Jerry Mielke designed himself and a factory in Italy produced.

One of the biggest draws remains Kristmas Kringle’s focus on personalization. When going to the gift show in Georgia, Pertl, Schneider and company will look for items that can include a personal message done by staff in calligraphy pen, be they ornaments or frames.

Pertl’s parents used the service in their own gift-giving, personalizing the bottom of figure skating figurines for Pertl’s daughter to make it “extra special,” she said.

“It’s always nice when someone knows that you bought it specifically for them,” she said.

Coming from far and near

Although she can remember her parents having anxiety about opening a year-round shop for a seasonal business, they found they had customers coming from January to December in search of gifts and decorations for other holidays.

The shop brings in a regionally diverse clientele, made not only of those from Fond du Lac, but from those well beyond it, said Schneider. When first at Wegner’s, the Mielkes reached out to tour bus companies — ones that travel around the state, visiting festive locales and events.

“They offered coffee and doughnuts if they would make it a stop on their way so people would get exposed to the Christmas shop and be talking about it in other cities, like Green Bay and down in Milwaukee and different places to try to get the word out and get it to grow,” Pertl said.

Today, the tours continue, and all who stop receive a gift to commemorate their time there.

Those passing the city by highway also make up a large portion of shoppers, allowing the store to build a following from all over the United States. On visits, Fond du Lac residents will bring family members to the store to take in the sights. From young to old, customers come with a happy attitude as they make the store part of their traditions.

“(The store) makes people happy. It’s a happy place to be. I like helping people find that memory,” she said.

This joy transfers to the employees, said Schneider, who find happiness being able to assist customers and guide them through the store.

“The warm glow you feel from satisfying a customer with that special gift they were looking for that special occasion (is where I find enjoyment),” he said.

A lifelong Christmas spirit

It was a glow that Jerry and Grace Mielke showcased, as they greeted visitors and gave them tours of the shop when they came to visit prior to their passing in 2008 and 2013, respectively. Up until the end of their lives, both continued to be involved in the store.

While Jerry Mielke was in the nursing home, they brought him ornaments to keep him in the loop, and in the year before she died, Grace Mielke made hiring and business decisions.

“This was them. It was a part of them. They were a part of it,” said Pertl. “They just loved it. They loved it a lot. I miss them tremendously.”

Despite their passing, the store’s popularity has not ceased, continuing to attract more than 500 patrons the weekend following Thanksgiving. As Pertl carries on the store for them, she and the team share the Christmas spirit for them as they help customers build their own special moments.

“We try to make it an experience," Pertl said. "It’s not just a place to shop. The whole idea is that it is an experience to feed the soul and enhance your life, brighten your day, bring smiles and create memories."